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In July 2024, a teenager from India survived a rare disease caused by a brain-eating amoeba. The amoeba, called Naegleria fowleri, causes Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM), which has a mortality rate of 97%. According to recent studies, climate change may drive a global increase in PAM occurrence. But where is Naegleria fowleri found? What are the symptoms? And what can be done to prevent it?
If you're keen to find out the answers to these questions and more, don't hesitate to click through this informative gallery.
In 2024, three children aged between five and 14, succumbed to PAM caused by Naegleria fowleri after swimming in water in the southern Indian state of Kerala.
At least 39 countries have reported Naegleria fowleri infections and according to experts, the infection rate is increasing by 4.5% each year.
In Pakistan, around 20 deaths are reported each year due to the disease. In 2024, infections were also reported in India and Israel.
A study conducted in Pakistan notes that worsening heat waves are contributing to increasing outbreaks of PAM. This adds to existing healthcare burdens, making proactive measures crucial.
Naegleria fowleri was also detected in a hot spring in the Grand Teton National Park in the US and in a freshwater swimming spot in Western Australia.
Between May and August 2024, Kerala reported 15 cases of PAM. In previous years, the state saw around one case annually.
The CDC found that 85% of global case exposures occur during warm or hot seasons, typically in summer. Studies suggest that rising temperatures and climate change may contribute to a global increase in PAM cases.
A study published in May 2023 found that PAM infections are increasing in the northern US, potentially due to climate change.
Experts believe that warmer temperatures will likely promote the survival and growth of Naegleria fowleri, increasing the risk of exposure as people engage in more water-based recreational activities during hotter weather.
Climate change could cause an increase in habitats where Naegleria fowleri thrive; it can now survive in warmer freshwater bodies in regions that were previously considered too cold.
Naegleria fowleri thrives in water with temperatures ranging between 86°F to 114.8°F (30°C to 46°C). A combination of droughts and heavy rainfall also creates the perfect conditions for the amoeba.
In March 2024, Naegleria fowleri was found in water treatment sites in parts of the UK, although this was before the water had been treated.
In 1978, a young girl died after contracting Naegleria fowleri in the Roman Baths in Bath, UK. The facility, which was built in 70 CE on the site of a geothermal spring, hasn't been opened for bathing since.
Naegleria fowleri is found in warm, untreated freshwater, soil, and dust. Infections have typically occurred in cases involving swimming, splashing, and submerging the head in lakes, ponds, hot springs, and reservoirs.
Less common routes of Naegleria fowleri transmission include warm hose water, a lawn water slide, and exposure of the nasal membrane to water from private well systems.
Naegleria fowleri enters through the nose and travels to the brain, where it causes severe inflammation and destroys brain tissue.
Naegleria fowleri can't be spread from person to person, but studies are underway to see if the amoeba can be spread by tissue or organ donation.
The severe and sudden symptoms of PAM caused by Naegleria fowleri include high fever, a painful headache, trembling, a stiff neck, sensitivity to light, and mental confusion.
It takes between two and 15 days after a person has been exposed to Naegleria fowleri for symptoms to develop. According to the CDC, PAM has a high fatality rate, and more than 97% of people with the disease have died from the infection.
If a healthcare provider suspects a person has been infected with Naegleria fowleri, they'll recommend a spinal tap (lumbar puncture) to see if the amoeba is in the cerebrospinal fluid.
A healthcare provider may also recommend a brain biopsy to check for the presence of the amoeba.
Because the symptoms of PAM resemble other illnesses such as the flu and bacterial meningitis, diagnosis can be delayed and increase the risk of severe complications or death.
Healthcare providers predominantly treat PAM with the antifungal drug amphotericin B. Miltefosine is also prescribed.
If you have a fever or a headache after you've been swimming in a warm freshwater body of water or used tap water to irrigate your nasal passages, contact your healthcare provider or go to the emergency room immediately.
Only use distilled or sterilized water for a neti pot or any other device that cleans the nasal passages.
Don't swim, wade, or do watersports in warm freshwater locations without nose plugs. Don't enter any water where Naegleria fowleri is suspected or known to be present.
Faucet water filters are an efficient method for eliminating Naegleria fowleri and other bacteria and parasites from water.
Sources: (National Geographic) (BBC) (Cleveland Clinic) (Gavi)
See also: The 30 most terrifying parasitic diseases in the world
Rising concerns over brain-eating amoeba infections
Climate change is increasing the risk
HEALTH Infection
In July 2024, a teenager from India survived a rare disease caused by a brain-eating amoeba. The amoeba, called Naegleria fowleri, causes Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM), which has a mortality rate of 97%. According to recent studies, climate change may drive a global increase in PAM occurrence. But where is Naegleria fowleri found? What are the symptoms? And what can be done to prevent it?
If you're keen to find out the answers to these questions and more, don't hesitate to click through this informative gallery.